Remembering Vijaya Emani

In the movie "It's A Wonderful Life", the angel Clarence helps George Bailey, the character played by Jimmy Stewart, realize what a big impact he had on the people of Bedford Falls. But it was only a movie. In real life now, we all recognize the impact that our colleague Vijaya Emani had on the people of Cleveland and beyond. Vijaya was tragically killed in an accident on the Ohio turnpike on an icy January morning. She touched people from many walks of life with her boundless energy and her dedication to many causes.

Almost three months after her passing, her loss is still hard to accept. It's especially so for those of us who worked with her on the India Cultural Garden (ICG) project. In the spring of 2000, she volunteered to be the point person for the project, which the new FICA board had voted to take charge of. From that moment, we shared many highs and lows-- debated and argued, cried and laughed, pleaded and cajoled, raised awareness and got our hands dirty, raised money and spent it-- while undertaking an exhilerating trip that culminated with a magnificent Mahatma Gandhi statue and six impressive Heritage Pillars at the garden site. Today, the garden, located off Martin Luther King Blvd., is a source of pride for the entire community.

Vijaya's dedication to the project and her can do spirit made her the ideal public face of ICG. We intend to honor her memory by completing the project as originally envisioned, including a magnificent granite gate designed by none other than her father, an artist/architect.

Vijaya was also an inspiration and a valuable resource for women dealing with domestic abuse. She played a major role in helping them become strong and independent. This became the other major passion of her life.

The overflowing crowd at her funeral service was proof (to paraphrase the Wizard of Oz) that you are not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.

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